# Billing options

> The recurring ways to pay for a plan (Monthly, Annual in installments, Weekly, Daily), with price, payment methods, who pays the fee, free trial, cancellation and contract length.

A **billing option** is a way to pay for a [plan](/monetizacao/planos): *Growth · Monthly at US$ 25*, *Growth · Annual at US$ 228*. When someone pays, the option becomes a **subscription**, which renews on its own every period until it's canceled.

The plan says **what** the person gets; the billing option says **how much and how** they pay.

## Inside a plan

A billing option only exists inside a plan — never on its own:

- **Creating** a subscription option requires naming the plan. Without a plan, the creation is refused: *"Every billing option must be in a plan. Choose the plan."*
- **Saving** can never leave the option without a plan: removing it from its last plan is refused, with its name in the message.
- **Buying** outside a plan doesn't exist: checkout refuses an option that isn't in any plan — *"This billing option is not in any plan and is not for sale."* The same option, once it joins a plan, is for sale again.

In the **Monetization › Options** list, an option left without a plan shows the **No plan** badge (*"No plan: not for sale"*) and the hint *"To sell it, pick this option's plan under Plans › Edit plan."* Pick the plan when editing the plan or in the option's **Plans** tab, and the badge goes away.

![Monetization › Options](/screens/opcoes-de-cobranca.png "The search and the Status filter above the list; each option with its price, trial, status and number of subscribers (interface in Portuguese).")

## What it's for

| Community | Options of the same plan |
|---|---|
| Online school | *Student · Monthly* US$ 15 · *Student · Annual* US$ 144 |
| Coworking space | *Resident · Monthly* US$ 300 with no contract · *Resident · 12 months* US$ 270 a month with a 12-month contract |
| SaaS | *Growth · Monthly* US$ 25 · *Growth · Annual* US$ 228 |

Having more than one option on the same plan is what makes the pricing page show the **Monthly | Annual** toggle and the annual savings.

## How it works

### Intervals

| Interval | How it charges | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Monthly** | One charge a month | Can have a [contract length](/monetizacao/duracao-do-contrato) |
| **Annual in installments** | The whole year in one purchase, in up to 12 card installments; PIX and boleto paid in full | See [Annual in installments](/monetizacao/anual-parcelado) |
| **Weekly** | One charge a week | Doesn't take add-ons |
| **Daily** | One charge a day | For short passes. Doesn't take add-ons |

**The interval can't change after creation** (*"Cannot be changed after the billing option is created"*). To change it, create another option.

To charge every three or six months with a commitment, use **Monthly** with a 3- or 6-month contract length: billing stays monthly, and the minimum term is guaranteed.

### Free trial

**Free Trial?** gives 1 to 30 days before the first charge. With card enabled, **Require Card for Trial?** asks for the card upfront: at the end of the trial, the first charge goes to it.

The trial starts with no charge at all. When it ends, the subscription is charged like a renewal: on a card, automatically; with PIX or boleto, the charge arrives by e-mail before the trial ends and follows the [Renewal](/pagamentos/renovacao) schedule. **Each person gets one trial per plan**, across every billing option of the plan, by e-mail and by card: whoever already used it pays from day one, even after canceling. Coupons don't apply during the trial, which is already free.

Good to know: during the trial, the person doesn't yet count as a subscriber for **Subscribers** spaces or for the plans in an access list.

### Cancellation

**Allow Cancellation** (default **Yes**) lets subscribers cancel on their own. With **No**, only the staff can cancel, and the subscriber sees *"This plan does not allow cancellation. Please contact the community."* When a subscriber cancels, access continues until the end of the paid period, with no new charges.

### Payment methods and fee

Tick **Credit Card**, **PIX** and/or **Boleto**. On monthly, each month is a new charge with the chosen method; on card, the renewal is automatic on the saved card. See [Renewal](/pagamentos/renovacao).

**Who Pays the Fees?** decides whether the platform fee (6.99% + US$ 1.00 per charge) comes out of the community's amount (**Organization**) or is added to the price (**Buyer**). The form opens with **Buyer**.

### Installments and interest

On **annual in installments**, the year can be split into up to 12 card installments. Installments carry **Memberfy's installment interest**, a total percentage of the amount:

| Installments | Interest (total on the amount) |
|---|---|
| 1× (single payment), PIX and boleto | None |
| 2× to 6× | 4.29% |
| 7× to 12× | 6.00% |

**Who pays the installment interest?** decides whether it is added to the installments (**Buyer**, the default) or comes out of the community's amount (**Organization**). The platform fee is calculated on the amount without interest and doesn't change with installments. Examples in [Annual in installments](/monetizacao/anual-parcelado#installment-interest).

### Status

**Draft**, **Active** or **Inactive**. Only **Active** options appear on the pricing page. Deactivating doesn't cancel existing subscribers.

A new option starts as **Draft**, and you can create and edit it before the [Business Information](/pagamentos/informacao-comercial#before-approval-everything-as-a-draft) is approved. Setting it to **Active** requires approval.

### Who can

**Owner** and **admin** create and edit. **Finance** views.

## The life cycle of a subscription

Everyone who pays for an option gets a subscription, which goes through these states:

| State | When | Access |
|---|---|---|
| **Trial** | During the free trial | Doesn't yet count as a subscriber for subscriber spaces |
| **Active** | Payment up to date | Yes |
| **Past Due** | The renewal wasn't paid | Until the subscription is brought up to date or ended |
| **Paused** | The staff paused the subscription | No |
| **Canceled** | Canceled by the subscriber or by the staff | Until the end of the paid period |

These are the names shown in the **Options** section and on the member's **Billing** page. See [Renewal](/pagamentos/renovacao).

## Step by step: create a billing option

*Role: owner or admin.*

1. Open **Monetization › Options** and click **Create billing option**.
2. **General**: the **Billing option name** (e.g. *Growth · Monthly*; the buyer sees this name), the short and full descriptions, and the images. Put what sets the option apart in the description (*"No minimum term"*, *"12-month contract"*).
3. **Payment & Pricing**:
   1. **Price** \*: the amount of each charge (on annual in installments, the price of the year).
   2. **Billing Interval** \*: Monthly, Annual in installments, Weekly or Daily.
   3. On monthly, **Contract length**: No contract, 3, 6, 12 months or **Other length** (1 to 36).
   4. On annual in installments, **Card installments**: up to 12×.
   5. **Free Trial?** and **Require Card for Trial?**, if you want a trial.
   6. **Payment Methods**.
   7. **Who Pays the Fees?**
   8. **Allow Cancellation**.
4. **Plans**: choose the plan the option belongs to. For a subscription option, the plan is required — without it, the creation is refused.
5. **Advanced** and **SEO**: post-purchase, benefits, and how the option appears in search engines.
6. Click **Create**. With the Business Information approved, choosing **Active** on creation already publishes the option; without it, the option is saved as a **Draft** and the form shows the way to the Business Information.

![The Payment & Pricing tab of a billing option](/screens/opcao-de-cobranca-pagamento.png "Price, interval, contract length, free trial, payment methods, who pays the fee and cancellation.")

## Examples with numbers

The platform fee is 6.99% + US$ 1.00 per charge, the same with any method.

| Option | Charge | Fee | The community keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student · Monthly, US$ 15 | every month | US$ 1.05 + US$ 1.00 = US$ 2.05 | US$ 12.95 a month |
| Growth · Monthly, US$ 25 | every month | US$ 1.75 + US$ 1.00 = US$ 2.75 | US$ 22.25 a month |
| Growth · Annual, US$ 228 | once a year | US$ 15.94 + US$ 1.00 = US$ 16.94 | US$ 211.06 a year |
| Resident · 12 months, US$ 270 | every month, for at least 12 months | US$ 18.87 + US$ 1.00 = US$ 19.87 | US$ 250.13 a month |

With **Who Pays the Fees? = Buyer**, Student · Monthly would cost the buyer US$ 15 + US$ 2.05 = **US$ 17.05** a month, and the community would receive US$ 15.

## Copy the billing option link

*Role: owner or admin.*

In **Monetization › Options**, in the option's actions menu:

- **Copy link** copies `https://<community address>/pricing/<plan>/<option>`: the pricing page with the plan and the option already chosen. Use it, for example, to promote annual only.
- **View Page** opens the same address.

The option and its plan must be **active**: if not, the item is disabled with *"Activate the option and the plan to share it"*.

## Changing an option that already has subscribers

- **Name, description, images, payment methods**: change them freely.
- **Price**: the new price applies to people who subscribe afterward; existing subscribers stay at their subscription's amount. To make it clear, create a new option and deactivate the old one.
- **Interval**: doesn't change. Create another option.
- **Plan**: removing the option from its last plan is refused — the option must be in a plan to be for sale. Move it to another plan instead of leaving it loose.
- **Delete**: the screen warns that *"All active subscriptions will be canceled"*. Prefer **Inactive**.

## Common errors and how to fix them

| Message or situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| *Select at least one payment method* | Tick card, PIX or boleto |
| *Invalid billing interval* | The interval sent doesn't exist; use Monthly, Annual in installments, Weekly or Daily |
| *A contract duration is only available for monthly subscriptions* | Remove the contract, or switch to Monthly |
| *Contract duration must be a whole number of months between 1 and 36* | Fix the term |
| **Require Card for Trial?** is disabled | Enable Credit Card and turn the trial on |
| The option doesn't show up to tick on the plan | It's already in another plan, or it's an add-on |
| *Every billing option must be in a plan. Choose the plan.* | The option was created or saved without a plan: choose the plan on the **Plans** tab |
| *This billing option is not in any plan and is not for sale.* (at checkout) | The option ended up outside every plan: put it in a plan under **Monetization › Plans** |
| *This product has no payment method enabled. Contact the community.* (at checkout) | Tick at least one method |

## Frequently asked questions

**What's the difference between the option and the plan?**
The plan is the tier (Growth); the option is the way to pay (Monthly, Annual). A plan has one or more options.

**Can I have one monthly option with a contract and another without on the same plan?**
Yes, and it's a good way to offer a discount to people who commit: *Resident · Monthly* US$ 300 and *Resident · 12 months* US$ 270 a month.

**Does the free trial apply to everyone?**
Once per person in each plan, in any of its billing options. Whoever already had the trial (same e-mail or same card) pays from day one.

**Does charging weekly or daily make sense?**
For short passes (an immersion week, a coworking day). For everything else, monthly or annual.

**Where do I see who subscribes to each option?**
In the **Subscribers** column of the list, and in the sales on the **Dashboard** panel.

**The Subscribers column.** In **Monetization › Subscriptions**, each billing option's **Subscribers** column counts the subscriptions in force: active, in trial, past due and paused.

## In the API

A billing option is a product of the subscription type: `POST /api/products` with `type: "SUBSCRIPTION"`, `price`, `billingInterval` (`MONTHLY`, `YEARLY`, `WEEKLY`, `DAILY`), `trialDays`, `requiresCardForTrial`, `allowCancellation`, `commitmentMonths`, `maxInstallments`, `allowedPaymentMethods` and `feePayer`. `subscriptionGroupIds` (the option's plan) is required for a subscription with no prerequisite: without it, creation answers 400, and so does a `PUT` that would leave the option outside every plan. See [Products](/api/referencia/products).

## Related

- [Plans](/monetizacao/planos)
- [Contract length](/monetizacao/duracao-do-contrato)
- [Annual in installments](/monetizacao/anual-parcelado)
- [Renewal](/pagamentos/renovacao)